Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

भक्तकल्पतरो शंभोऽनेनायं दुष्टयादसा । अनायिन मया नाथ भवद्भक्तजनार्भकः

Transliteration

bhaktakalpataro śaṃbho'nenāyaṃ duṣṭayādasā | anāyina mayā nātha bhavadbhaktajanārbhakaḥ

Translation

“ഹേ ശംഭോ, ഭക്തർക്കു കല്പതരുവേ! ഹേ നാഥാ, ഈ ദുഷ്ട ജലചരൻ നിന്റെ ഭക്തന്റെ ഈ നിർപരാധിയായ, ആരെയും ഉപദ്രവിക്കാത്ത കുഞ്ഞിനെ അപഹരിച്ചു.”

Word by Word

• भक्तकल्पतरो: O wish-fulfilling tree for devotees
• भक्तकल्पतरो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त-कल्पतरु (प्रातिपदिक; components: भक्त + कल्पतरु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'भक्तानां कल्पतरुः'

• शंभो: O Śambhu
• शंभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• अनेन: by this (one)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टयादसा: by the wicked water-creature
• दुष्टयादसा: Karana (Instrument/agentive instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट-यादस् (प्रातिपदिक; components: दुष्ट + यादस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'दुष्टं यादः' (a wicked aquatic being)

• अनायि: was brought
• अनायि: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) → आ+नी (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा-पुरुषः, एकवचन; धातु: आ+नी (to bring)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• भवद्भक्तजनार्भकः: the child of your devotee
• भवद्भक्तजनार्भकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्-भक्त-जन-अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक; components: भवत् + भक्त + जन + अर्भक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'भवतः भक्तजनस्य अर्भकः'

Speaker

Kardama (addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (contextual) / Viśveśvara-kshetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distraught devotee points toward the river where a wicked water-creature has carried off a small child; Śambhu is invoked as the devotees’ wish-fulfilling protector.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is portrayed as the immediate refuge for devotees when innocent dependents are threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where Viśveśvara/Śambhu is celebrated as the protector of those who surrender.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse centers on heartfelt petition to the deity.